Malawi govt bulldozed parliament in passing Divorce Bill – MP Chakwantha

The chairperson of the Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament, Peter Chakwantha, has accused the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government of bulldozing parliament in passing the Marriage Divorce and Family Relation Bill.

Chakwantha (left) : There has been a lot of marathons and manoeuvres
Chakwantha (left) wth opposition leader Lazaroud Chakwera : There has been a lot of marathons and manoeuvres

Chakwatha who is also Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Lilongwe south west express resentment the way the Bill which was tabled by minister of gender Patricia Kaliati was passed.

He said government flouted the newly adopted standing orders which, among others, stipulate that a bill passes through his committee before proceeding for debate in National Assembly.

“The way the bill was presented and the manner in which debate on it was moderated leaves some of us feeling short changed,” said Chakwatha, as quoted in the local press.

“There has been a lot of marathons and manoeuvres which is uncalled for in this day and age,” he added.

The new standing orders provide that the first point of call for bills-government or private member is the clerk of parliament who then refers it to the relevant committee in this case it is the Legal Affairs.

According to Chakwatha, a lawyer by training, the parliamentary procedure was flouted in passing the bill, which he pointed out has “some ridiculous and imported elements” that his committee needed to look into before it came to the whole house for debate.

He accused the DPP government of having the tendency of “waiving standing orders to accommodate their inefficiency and shortcuts.”

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mtima wa nyani
mtima wa nyani
9 years ago

panali chakhantha m phuzisi wa pa Likuni girls mkazake anali nurse koma nde anayambilila kugona ntiwana take ta school pa Likuni- who is this chakhwantha ndipo ali moyo????????? cisilu ca munthu ,iyi inali ca 1970 s.kuli kwa azungu pano atamuimitsa mu khothi koma kwathu kuno cigogo cimeneci cangofumbatila mapwala ake pa kona.kwa azayhu mlandu suola koma kuno za caka catha zaiwalika.

chie
chie
9 years ago

Kongilesi chilichonse mutsutsebe basi. Opposition is not there just for the sake of opposing but to give checks and balances. O chakwera munali ABUSA taperekani utsogoleri weniweni plz.

chirwa
chirwa
9 years ago
Reply to  chie

Let’s not look into one person here be coz he is a pastor, both of us we must pray about this. Now we re bringing strange things in our country . . We don’t believe in those things they called divorce

Banda
Banda
9 years ago

Kayeza Punda, the MP in question has all the powers in the parliament to defend his position. If he has failed to do that, it’s unfortunate and should not blame the government. Parliament is regulated by Msowoya of MCP and Chakwera, you legalise a foolish bill and reject a good Police officer to be an IG, what an opposition.

mphwanye
9 years ago

Chakhwantha, I think you are one of those mps who are just signing for allowances without attending parliament. Where were you for God sake when the bill was being buldozed?

MCP GVT
9 years ago

Opposition, I thought u r there to oppose what is not going wel in the house? So where were u mr Chakwantha?

John Nyirenda
John Nyirenda
9 years ago

Date someone for five years! The state will assume you are married to her and if you split up! She will go with half your assets

Wa dada

Kes munthali
Kes munthali
9 years ago

No wonder any free think, intelligent human being can ever support this joke of a party. Chankwantha you were there in parliament when this was being debated, infact you knew before you left your house that this bill was on the order of business to be discussed on this particular day, you even voted for the bill to be passed…and more than 4 days later your are going to the media with this story, are you okay in the head? It seems kuMCPko its a case of the blind leading the blind. Last week to was that Chakwera fella making… Read more »

losco
9 years ago

Koma chipanichi chatikwana bwanji!Pamene amakambirana bill imeneyo chakwanthayo analikuti ndi Lazalo wakeyo.Aaaa zatikwana bwanji!!!!

Khethemu
Khethemu
9 years ago

Udali kuti bongololo!Hahahaha! Thus why we need to raise academic qualifications of mps. We must start from a degree going up.

Francis Kasaila
Francis Kasaila
9 years ago

In fact the MCP supported the bill. Their spokesperson never pointed out anything that would have necessitated referring the bill to the committee. Every motion for each stage of the bill was passed without anyone saying No.

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